Refrigerator cabinet



Jan. 8, 1952 L. A. ANDERSON ET AL REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed Jan. 26, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Jan. 8, 1952 L. A. ANDERSON ET'AL 2,581,618

REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed Jan. 26. 1949 2 SI'IEETSSHEET 2 //l v 7 4 2/ 42 Z 43 33 4" z? I I I/ 7 /4 47 54 53 5/ 46 84 W I 7 a frigerating apparatus Patented Jim. 8, 1952 REFRIGERATOR CABINET Louis A. Anderson, Dayton, Ohio, and James J.

Slattery,

Chicago, 111.;

to General Motors Corp corporation of Delaware; to Montgomery Ward an said Anderson assignor oration, Dayton, Ohio, I

said Slattery assignor d Company, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 26, 1949, Serial No. 72.934

6 Claims. (01. 62-103) This invention relates to improvements in reand particularly household refrigerators.

An object of our invention is to provide an improved drip tray arrangement within a refrigerator cabinet.

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved drip tray device within a storage chamber 'of a refrigerator cabinet and located below an evaporator of a refrigerating system mounted in the chamber for partitioning the interior of the chamber into an upper sharp freezing compartment and a lower relatively warmer food storage compartment.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a combined drip tray and partitioning device for the interior of a refrigerated chamber of a household refrigerator cabinet which has movable portions adapted to adjust air passageways about the partition so as to increase or decrease the amount of air circulated therearound and between compartments on either side thereof for controlling the temperatures therein. A further object of our invention is to provide a trim strip er decorative cover which will conceal a partitioning means, utilized to divide the interior of a chamber of a household refrigerator cabinet into upper and lower compartments,

from view by a person standing in front of the cabinet when the cabinet door is open.

A still further and more specific object 01' our invention is to provide a trim or decorative cover pivotally carried by the front of a drip pan or partitioning means within a refrigerator cabinet and which is slightly spaced from and extends parallel to the inner face of the cabinet door to provide a relatively narrow vertically elongated air-flow passage around the partition means, and which cover is adjustable relative to the partition for reducing the vertical elongation of the narrow passage to permit increased air-flow therethrough.

Incident to the main objects of our invention as set forth above, numerous other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and claims, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a refrigerating apparatus of the household type with the cabinet door leading to the refrigerated chamber thereof in open position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, showing a combined drip tray and partitioning device con- 53 structed in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing parts of the combined device moved to an adjusted. position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2-, showing a plan view of one side portion of the partitioning device;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, showing one of the supporting tracks for the partitioning device secured to a side wall of the cabinet chamber; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-8 of Fig. 2, showing the trim cover pivotally mounted to the front edge of the partltion.

Referring to the drawings, for illustrating our invention, we have shown in Fig. 1 thereof, a refrigerating apparatus of the household refrigerator type including a cabinet ll comprising inner and outer sheet metal walls It and i2 respectively having any suitable insulating material It therebetween (see Figs. 2 and 4). The inner metal wall ll forms a liner for a chamber within cabinet l0 and which chamber has an access opening in the front thereof normally closed by door l5. Outer walls I! extend downwardly beyond the bottom of the insulated chamher to form a machine compartment in the lower portion of cabinet l0, closed by a door 16. An evaporator I8 (see Figs. 2 and 3), having a front cover or closure member I! (see Fig. l), of a closed refrigerating system is mounted in the .upper portion of the cabinet chamber and may be supported from the top wall of the chamber. Evaporator I8 is preferably of the sheet metal variety provided with refrigerant expanslon ductsin its walls and forming a sharp freezing sleeve or sleeves. The outer walls of evaporator III are spaced from the top, back and side walls of the chamber and from the inner face of door l5 to permit circulation of air thereover and therearound as will be hereinafter described. The evaporator I8 is connected, by suitable conduits,.with a conventional refrigerant liquefying and condensing unit (not shown) located within the machine compartment behind door It. Such a unit ordinarily comprises a motor-driven compressor and a condenser. Operation of the compressor withdraws refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator l8, compresses the same and forwards it to the condenser where it is cooled and liquefled prior to its return to the evaporator I8. The refrigerating effect produced by evaporation of refrigerant in evaporator l8 cools and causes a thermo-siphon circulation of air within the insulated chamber of the refrigerator cabinet l0.

In refrigerators it has been common practice to provide a drip pan below an evaporator spaced a substantial distance from the side walls of a cab inet chamber and to freely or unrestrictably circulate air therearound within the chamber. In such refrigerators the free circulation of air within a chamber maintains substantially the entire interior of the chamber at or near the same temperature. In the present disclosure we provide a partitioning means in the form of a two-part drip tray arrangement cooperating with walls of the cabinet chamber in a novel manner to divide the chamber into two compartments so as to enable the maintenance of a temperature gradient between the compartments. The partitioning means is constructed so as to be adjustable Iorchanging or regulating the amount of air circulated from one to the other of the compartments. In Fig. 1 '01 the drawings a partitioning means generally represented by the reference character 26, carried upon suitable supports or tracks, is disposed below evaporator l6 and divides the insulated cabinet chamber into an upper sharp freezing compartment 2|, containing evaporator I8, and a lower food storage chamber 22 provided with a plurality of food supporting shelves 24. Our partitioning tray in any one of a plurality of moved or ad- Justed positions. Tray 6| extends continuously provide bosses 63 (see Figs. 4 and 6) having an means 20 includes a stationary part or drip tray 26 comprising a top wall 21 and'a bottom wall 28 having suitable insulating material 29 therebetween (see Figs. 2 and These walls of tray 26 are formed of any suitable molded plastic material and are cemented or secured to one another at the points indicated by the reference character 3| to hermetically seal the insulation 29 therebetween. Top wall 21 of tray 26 is provided with a trough 39 inwardly of its edges 34 and extending entirely around the same. A drain opening 36 is provided in trough 33' for conveying drip water, dripping upon tray 26 from evaporator |8 during defrosting thereof, out of the trough. This stationary part 26 of the partition extends continuously across the insulated chamber of cabinet In between the side walls of liner H (see Figs. 4 and 5) and extends from a point spaced a substantialdistance from the rear wall of liner I I to a point spaced a short distance from the inner face of door |5 (see Figs. 2 and 3). Part or pan 26' is supported upon horizontal ledges 4| provided on metal brackets 42, each secured to a side wall of liner II by screws 43. Brackets 42 are also provided with an upstanding car 44 at their rear end against which back edge 34 of pan 26 abuts in order to form stops for this pan so as to position same the proper spaced distance from the rearwall of the cabinet chamber. Ihe brackets 42 each have an upper inwardly directed part 45 overlapping the side ed es of the pan 26 of partition and'holding this pan against vertical movement. Theback portion of brackets 42 have a shorter bracket 46 welded or otherwise suitably secured thereto and provided with a horizontal ledge or track portion 41. The ledges or tracks 41 support a movable partof the partition means 2|) and this part is in the form of a wide, short molded plastic or the like tray 5|, having an integral handle portion 52 and provided with a drainopening 53 (see Fig. 2). Each side portion of tray' 5| has an integral extension or ing 54 depending from the bottom wall thereof. The track or ledge portion 41 of the short brackets 46 isv provided with a plurality of spaced apart cutout portions or notches 56 for a purpose to be-presently described. The lugs 5| on tray. 6| fit into horizontally aligned notches 56 waste-retain the opening 64 therein receiving a pin 66. Each pin 66 pivotally secures a metal bracket 61 to pan 26. The brackets 61 have a flat portion 66 welded or otherwise suitably secured to a front trim cover 69. This cover 69, while being pivotally mounted to pan 26 by brackets 61 and pins 66, normally extends parallel to and spaced from the inner face of door l5 to provide a narrow vertically elongated somewhat restricted passage 1| between partition means 20 and the door l5. Each of the brackets 61 have an inwardly directed ear 12 formed thereon (see Figs. 2 and 4). These cars 12 each have an arm 13 pivotally mounted thereto by a rivet or pin 14. The other end of each arm 13 is pivotally connected to the central part of another arm 11 by a pin or rivet 18. The one end of arms 11 are pivotally connected to the tray 26 by suitable pins or the like 19 (see Fig. 4). The end portion of arms 11, opposite the end secured to pan 26, are provided with an indentation 6| which fits in a cutout portion 82 in arms 13 to form a rigid but foldable brace for normally holding the trim cover 69 in its vertical position as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The arms 13 and 11, together with their linkage pins provide a toggle-like means or movable device which is restrained from movement beyond a certain position by the ing or indentation 8| fitting in the cutout portion or notch 82 and bearing against the wall thereof.

In the structure disclosed the part or pan 26 of partitioning means 20 is described as being stationary yet it is removable at will from the cabinet chamber for facilitating cleaningof the interior of the chamber. The spaces or passages 6| at the rear corners of the cabinet chamber and the space or passage 1| between the trim cover 69 of the partitioning means 20 and the inner face of door |5 provide, when these parts of the partitioning means are in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, a limited or restricted flow of air between the two compartments 2| and 22. Incidentally this is the position of various parts of the partitioning means 20 during defrosting of the evaporator H. In this position of the partitioning'means 20 a limited amount of air flows upwardly through the passage 1| adjacent door i5 and over walls of the. evaporator I8 (see Fig. 2') where it is cooled and caused to flow downwardly over the two drip pan parts 26 and 5|. of the partition 20 toward the rear corners ofv the chamber. This cooled air then flows through the passages, adjacent the ends ofdrip pan part 5| at the rear corners of the chamber, into the lower food storage compartment'22. This limited air circulation between compartments 2| and 22 is satisfactory under certain conditions but frequently increased circulation is desired. When increased circulation of air. between compartments 2| and 22, above the nor.- mal limited circulation described is desiredthe trim cover 69 at the front end of thepartition 20 is moved about its pivotal mounting by raise ing the arm 11 of the toggle device and moving 7Q same in a direction toward. andin substantially the same horizontal plane with the top of the partition pan part 26 as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the toggle device is moved as described and as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings it is received in trough portions 22 along the sides of pan 26. The drip pan part II of partition is also moved relative to partition part 28 or away from the chamber rear wall into any one of its adjusted positions, afforded by the notches 56, such. for example, as into the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. While I have shown pan 5| in both of its extreme positions it is to be understood that this pan .can be moved into any one of a plurality of intermediate positions to afford the air circulation desired. Thus cover 69 while providing a decorative trim strip for concealing the partitioning means from view of a standing person's eyes also serves to increase or decrease air circulation through the front air passageway II. The swinging of trim cover 59, as described, to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings reduces the vertical elongation of passage H and consequentiy minimizes the restriction to flow of air therethrough. To move the pan part 5|, away.-from the rear chamber wall the handle'portion 52 of pan 5| is grasped by the handand elevated so as to raise the pan and elevate the integral depending projections 54 out of the two rear notches 55 in track or slide 41. This pan 5| is then slid forwardly of the cabinet chamber and again lowered so that the projections 54 will fit into certain other of the notches 58 near the front of the track or slide 41. The circulation of air upwardly from compartment 22 through the passage H is therefore no longer a restricted flow through a vertically elongated passage and flow of air downwardly from compartment 2| into compartment 22 is no longer restricted to the chamber rear corners or passages 6| or to a narrow passage along the chamber back wall. Thus with parts of the partitioning means 20 in the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, air may freely flow upwardly through the passage H and downwardly between the rear edge of pan part 26 and the chamber back wall to thereby increase the circulation of air above the normal restricted or limited circulation thereof between the compartments 2| and 22. Such increased circulation of air will cause the temperature of the lower food storage compartment 22 to be reduced. It is to be understood that the pan 5| can be slid upon track 41 to any one of a plurality of adjusted positions depending upon the number of notches 55 provided so that the circulation of air around the back of partition 20 and between compartments 2| and 22 can be increased or decreased as desired.

While we have emphasized the changes in temperature that can be maintained within compartment 22 it is to be understood that the adjustability of air circulation is also important from the standpoint of regulating the humidity within compa tment 22. For example, the higher temperature maintained in compartment 22 by the restricted amount of air circulating between the compartments 2| and 22 (see Figs. 2 and 4) tends to create a relative high humidity condition within compartment 22, because there is not enough air circulated from compartment 22 over walls of evaporator l8 to cause the removal of any appreciable amount of moisture from the air. Conversely, when the passages about the partitioning means are opened or unrestricted to increase the air circulating between the compartments 2| and 22 ample air-flow over the walls of evaporator II is provided to remove a greater amount of moisture from the air and consequently a lower relative humidity is prevalent in compartment 22.

A can or receptacle I4 is located on the upper food supporting shelf 24 and the parts of the partitioning means 20 are constructed and arranged to at all times direct drip water flowing from evaporator l8 and received upon or in the pans 25 and 5| into this receptacle. For example, drip water flowing from evaporator l8 upon pan part 26 of partition 20 is directed into the trough 33 and flows from this trough into the pan part ll by way of the drain opening 3|. The arrangement of the pans relative to one another and the location of the drain openings 3B and 53 are such that the pan 5| receives drip water from pan 28, irrespective-of its adjusted position along track 41. and directs the drip water into receptacle 84. When water accumulates in receptacle 54 the receptacle is removed from the cabinet chamber and emptied.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that our novel combined drip pan and partitioning means provides an improved refrigerator cabinet wherein the user may quickly and readily regulate or adjust air circulation around the partitioning means and between the compartments on either of two sides thereof. The arrangement of the partitioning means provides an effective defrosting pan which prevents water dripping from the evaporator during defrosting thereof" from falling into the lower food storage compartment. The movability of parts of the partitioning means relative to one another also provides a winter and/or summer adjustment for obtaining the proper refrigerating results within the cabinet chamber in accordance with ambient climatic conditions exteriorly of the refrigerator cabinet.

While the cover 59 provides a decorative trim strip for concealing the partitioning means from the view of a person's eyes it also serves to increase or decrease air circulation through the front air-flow passage.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a refrigerating apparatus including a cabinet having walls defining a chamber therein provided with an access opening normally closed by a door, a partition dividing said chamber into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, a closed refrigerating system associated with said cabinet and including an evapo rator disposed in said upper compartment for cooling and causing circulation of air within said chamber, said partition comprising a stationary part extending continuously across said chamber from one side wall to the other side wall thereof and from a point spaced a short distance from said door to a point spaced a considerable distance from the rear wall of said chamber,-said partition also comprising a movable part closing a substantial portion of said space between said stationary part of said partition nd said chamber rear wall and having its ends spaced a short distance from said chamber side walls, a trim cover pivotally mounted at the front edge of said stationary part of said partition and extending upwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relation to the inner face of said door, the space between said trim cover and said door permitting a normal limited circulation of air upwardly from said lower compartment over said evaporator, the spaces between the ends of said movable part of said partition and said chamber side walls permitting a normal limited circulation of air downwardly from said upper compartment into said lower compartment, and said trim cover being tiltable about its pivotal mounting inwardly toward the face of-said partition and said movable part of said partition being slidable away from said chamber'rear wall for increasing the circulation of air between said compartments above said normal limited circulation thereof.

2. In combination, a refrigerating apparatus including a cabinet having walls defining a chamber therein provided with an access opening normally closed by a door, means comprising a stationary portion and a movable portion cooperating with one another to form a partition dividing said chamber into an upper compartment and a lower compartment,..a closed refrigcrating system associated with said cabinet and including an evaporator disposed in said upper compartment, said stationary portion of said partition extending continuously across said chamber from one side wall to the other side wall thereof and from a point spaced a short distance from said door to a point spaced a substanchamber intermediate said'side walls thereof and substantially closing said space between the back edge of said stationary partition portion and said chamber rear wall, said partition being arranged within said chamber so as to permit a normal limited circulation of air between said compartments through the space intermediate said trim cover and said door, and said trim cover being tiltable about its pivotal mounting inwardly toward the face of said partition and said movable partition portion being slidable away from said chamber rear wall for increasing the circulation of air between said compartments above said normal-llmited circulation thereof.

3. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet including walls defining a chamber therein having an access opening normally closed by a door, a closedrefrigerating system associated with said cabinet and including an evaporator mounted in the upper portion of said chamber and beingspaced from walls thereof, a horizontal partition below saidevaporator dividing said chamber into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, a trim cover pivotally mounted at.the front edge of said partition and extending substantially perpendicular therefrom in spaced substantially parallel relation to-the innerface of said door, said trimcover ,cooperating with said door and terminating adjacent the lower front portion of said evaporator to provide a relatively narrow vertically elongated air passagebetween said compartments, togglelike means having a connection with said cover and with said partition bracing and maintaining said cover in said position, and said toggle-like partition for reducing the vertical elongation of said air passage.

4. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet including walls defining a chamber therein having an access opening normally closed by a door, a closed refrigerating systween said partition and the evaporator, said trim cover also cooperating with said door to provide a relatively narrow vertically elongated passage intermediate said partition and said door for the circulation of air past said partition and between said compartments, toggle-like means having a connection with said cover and with said partition for bracing said cover and maintaining same in said position, and said togglelike means being movable to swing said cover about its pivotal mounting toward the top face of said partition for reducing the vertical elongation of said air passage.

5. In combination, a refrigerating apparatus including a cabinet having walls defining a chamber therein provided with an access opening normally closed by a door, a single partition dividing said chamber into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, a closed refrigerating system associated with said cabinet and including an evaporator disposed in said upper compartment in spaced relation to said partition for cooling and causing circulation of air within said chamber, said partition comprising a stationary part extending continuously across said chamber and extending from a point spaced from said door to a point spaced from the rear wall of said chamber, said partition also comprising a movable part normally restricting the flow of air between said compartments at the space intermediate said stationary partition part and said chamber rear wall, a trim cover pivotally mounted at the front edge of said stationary partition part and extending upwardly therefrom in spaced relation to the inner face of said door with its upper edge terminating adjacent the lower front portion of said evaporator, the space between said trim cover and said door permitting a limited circulation of air between said compartments, said trim cover being tiltable about its pivotal mounting inwardly within the space between said partition and said evaporator toward said chamber rear wall. and downwardly toward the top of said partition, and said partition movable part being slidable away from said chamber rear wall for increasing the circulation of air between said compartments above said normal limited circulation thereof.

6. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet including walls defining a chamber therein having an access opening normally closed by a door, a closed refrigerating system associated with said cabinet and -includ-. ing an evaporator mounted in the upper portion of said chamber and being spaced fromwalls thereof, asingle partition spaced from and being substantially horizontally disposed below 'said relatively narrow vertically elongated air passage between said compartments, and said trim cover being movable within the space between said partition and said evaporator about its pivotal mounting in a directiontoward the rear of said partition to swing said cover into substantially the horizontal plane of said partition and thereby reduce the vertical elongation of said air passage.

LOUIS A. ANDERSON. JAMES J. SLA'I'IERY.

10 REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,404,531 Lacy Jan. 24, 1922 1,479,787 Clemans June 8, 1924 1,944,126 John Jan. 16, 1934 2,244,900 Starr June 1.0, 1941 2,285,701 DOlive et al June 9, 1942 2,292,032 Atchison Aug. 4, 1942 2,310,117 Reeves Feb. 2, 1943 2,331,560

Maniscalco Oct. 12, 1943 

